Flat Out Fishing Lake Jackson Goes from Green to Blue

LAKE JACKSON, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will host a saltwater fishing seminar that explores the sandy-green waters of our Gulf passes and the azure blue water haunts of prized billfish.

The day-long seminar will feature presentations on fishing and boating from safety and conservation to the "secret" tricks of fishing professionals.

The seminar kicks-off at 8 a.m. Sat., Feb. 24, at the Lake Jackson Civic Center (intersection of Highway 332 and Oak). The seminar continues until 6:00 p.m. with plenty of breaks. Lunch will be provided by Talk About Good Restaurant and Catering; gratuities to the chef will be appreciated.

Larry Bozka, celebrated outdoorsman, will serve as the emcee.

Presentations will cover safety and ethics of offshore boating, amberjack techniques, secrets of San Luis Pass, artificial reef ecology, and a settling understanding of what's going on when we get seasick.

“Flat Out Fishing — Lake Jackson will, again, give fishermen a fresh, new look at fishing the Texas Gulf," said Bobby Miller, one of TPWD’s Coastal Fisheries outreach specialists. "Anybody who can get offshore in their 20- to 25-foot boat or hire a guide will value this seminar."

The program benefits the 6th Annual Abandoned Crab Trap Cleanup, Miller said, with the admission fees going to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s abandoned crab trap removal program fund.

That program has removed more than 19,000 abandoned crab traps from coastal waters since 2002. This year, the program celeberates the 20,000th trap removed — far more than any other state on the Gulf Coast.

The cost is $20 per person or $30 per couple, payable by cash, check or money order at the door. Registration fees are tax-deductible. Children 16 and younger may attend free with a paying adult. Participants will be eligible for door prizes and “goody bags.”

Seating is limited to the first 300 participants. The first 200 to register will qualify for an "early-bird" drawing.